Investment Strategy
Berenberg Financial Bonds is a benchmark-independent, flexible fixed income fund with an investment focus on financial bonds and a regional focus on Europe. The aim of the investment strategy is to generate both an attractive return and steady coupon income by investing across the entire capital structure. In the medium term, the aim is to develop a total return character. In order to identify attractive opportunities and market inefficiencies, the fund management utilises a broad and flexible toolbox from the entire capital structure. The focus is on fundamental analysis and single bond picking. Interest rate, credit and currency risks can be actively managed through the use of derivatives.
- Diversified and flexible financial bond portfolio focussing on European issuers
- The fund operates independently of benchmarks
- Targeted reduction of volatility and drawdowns through a maximum AT1 ratio of 30% and exclusion of CCC-rated bonds
- Wide range of instruments includes individual bonds, funds and derivatives
Learn more about our Berenberg Fixed Income investment philosophy
Further details on the opportunities and risks of this fund can be found in the sales prospectus.
Indexed performance
Performance in 12-month periods
Currencies
Sectors
Countries
Asset classes
Top Holdings
Monthly market comment
At the start of the new year, the bond markets continued the trend from December. In the run-up to Donald Trump's inauguration in the US, yields on 10-year US government bonds rose by around 6bp before ending January 3bp lower. Yields on 10-year German government bonds rose by 16bp in January. Subordinated financial bonds in particular were able to counter the rising interest rates thanks to high carry and falling spreads (EUR AT1: -48bp). Attractive carry, solid quarterly figures, but also brisk and successful new issue activity at financial institutions supported this significant spread tightening. In the senior segment, financials (-14bp) outperformed the broad index for corporate bonds (-9bp) in this constructive environment.
Portfolio Management
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Christian Bettinger
Christian Bettinger, CFA, has been with the company since June 2009. As fund manager of the mutual funds Berenberg Euro Bonds and Berenberg Credit Opportunities, he is responsible for the selection of corporate bonds in the Multi Asset area. After apprenticeship as a banker and studying business administration at the Catholic University of Eichstaett-Ingolstadt, he first went through the trainee program at Berenberg. In February 2010, the business graduate was taken over early as a junior fund manager with a focus on derivatives and fixed income. Bettinger is a CFA-Charterholder, Certified Financial Engineer (CFE) and admitted Eurex trader.
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Gerald Deutsch
Gerald Deutsch joined Berenberg in 2021. He started his career in the Berenberg Graduate Program with assignments in discretionary equity and fixed income portfolio management, fixed income research, as well as in institutional fund sales both in Germany and Switzerland. He exited the program early in 2022 and became a fixed income portfolio manager with a focus on corporate credit. He holds a Master of Finance from Frankfurt School of Finance & Management and a Bachelor of Psychology from the University of Kent.